The Padres lost Nick Martinez earlier this offseason and now they’ve lost Seth Lugo, who is signing a three-year, $45 million contract with the Kansas City Royals.
Right-hander Seth Lugo and the Kansas City Royals are in agreement on a three-year, $45 million contract, a source told ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 12, 2023
Lugo posted a 3.57 ERA in his one season with the Padres and then didn’t take his $7.5 million player option because he knew he could land a contract like this. The 34-year-old made 26 starts and went over 140 innings for what was supposed to be a contending Padres club.